Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Yomanhattan.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Yomanhattanxe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Fort Myers, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, numerous inflorescences, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniform flowering response, and good postproduction longevity.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in November, 1998, in Salinas, Calif., of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Sierra, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,226, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Chrysanthemum seedling selection identified as code number YB-4035, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, numerous inflorescences, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniform flowering response, and good postproduction longevity.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in February, 2000. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Yomanhattan has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Yomanhattanxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Yomanhattanxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:
1. Uniform and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Strong and freely branching growth habit.
3. Dark green-colored foliage.
4. Uniform flowering response and habit.
5. Early flowering, 8.5-week response time.
6. Decorative-type inflorescences.
7. Golden yellow-colored ray florets.
8. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for about three to four weeks in an interior environment.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Sierra, in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more outwardly spreading than plants of the cultivar Sierra.
2. Foliage of plants of the new Chrysanthemum is denser than foliage of plants of the cultivar Sierra.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about three to four days later than plants of the cultivar Sierra.
4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Sierra differ in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Sierra have white-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about three to four days later than plants of the male parent selection.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have decorative inflorescences whereas plants of the male parent selection have semi-double inflorescences.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the male parent selection differ in ray floret color as plants of the male parent selection have pink-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Iridon, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,125. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fort Myers, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Iridon in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more vigorous than plants of the cultivar Iridon.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more outwardly spreading than plants of the cultivar Iridon.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about three to four days earlier than plants of the cultivar Iridon.
4. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were golden yellow in color whereas ray florets of plants of the cultivar Iridon were yellow in color.